Can I mix grease with oil

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Hello grease experts,
I'm new in this forum and this is my first post. I start direct with my general question.
Can I mix grese with oil to lower the NLGI rate?
I need some NLGI 0 or 1 grease with base oil viscosity 100...220 . The grease will be used in bicycle internal gear hub. I need small quentity e.g 0,4kg cartridge. Unfortunatley NLGI 0 and 1 greses are coming in 18 or 150kg packages.
I'm a little bit confused.
1. The lubrication experts completely refuse to do that E.g look at article in machinery lubrication "stop pumping oil in bearing grease". The authour is contributor in this forum too
http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/28928/oil-bearing-grease
2. The OEM is mixing old grease with oil. Look at http://www.shimano.com/publish/content/g...oadFile.html/07)%20Maintenance%20Oil.pdf


I want to switch from OEM products to Mobil products. They are cheap reliable and open. They gives plenty of specification and test data /e.g. ASTM D..../
In contrast to Japan made deeply keep in secret OEM - Shimano nexus grease and oil. Secondary I don't like the grinding noise from low viscosity OEM base oil.

.I want to mix Li complex PAO based MOBILITH SHC 100 NLGI 2. and Mobil SHC 100 oil. I have both .
They mix together quite easy and base oils looks to be the same. I need such a grease for my hobby - bicycle with internal gear hubs. It is closed but not sealed construction from 3-4 planetary gears needle bearing on satellite gears and 3 ball bearings for the wheel axis. The whole gear has 130mm diameter and it rotates between 0...400 tr/min. The gears can be completely disassembled and degreased.
The OEM manufacture Shimano offer the following lubes
1. Shimano nexus grease - Seems to be NLGI1 or 0, The base oils seems to be light. I suppose lower than 100. Price 15USD/60gr.
2. Shimano mantainance oil - once per 5 year you have to dunk the complete gear in this oil. Price 100..150USD/ 1l.

Completely disassembled internal gear hub is available here.

http://www.shimano.com/publish/content/g...oadFile.html/17)%20Inter%208%20ohaul.pdf
.

What do you think can I mix them?

Regards,
Miro
If needed, I'm ready to provide additional information.
 
Grease isn't just really high viscosity oil, it's a carrier that when squeezed releases oil. So mixing grease and oil won't get you something in between.

You may also want to post in the bicycle section of this BBS.
 
Thanks for the input
I want to mix
1. NLGI 2 grease with base oil viscoity 100
2. oil viscisity 100 - most likely the same oil used by grease formulation

I want to make NLGI1 grease with base oil viscosity 100
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the input Doog,
Why I should not do?
1. Shimano is doing oil refresh with their grease and oil at exactly the same internal hub as mine. I should call Shimano as an Mercedes/Porsche and Ferrari in the bicycle world.
2. Local bicycle stores are doing the same too.
3. I made own mixture 1 year ago. I degrease and re greased my wife's bicycle internal gear hub. Shimano nexus-3. The bike is still running better than original grease – smoothly. Internal drag is the same as the new hub with the original grease/oil. Two weeks ago I removed the cone and checked the grease, toots,ball bearings,cup, cones and pawls and they looks OK.
4. The grease after 1 year doesn’t show any contamination or wears particle. Still colored RED
5. The grease doesn't show any bleeding and oil separation

Maybe initial statement of lubricant experts is not true for bicikle application.
Remember we are talking about
- operational temperature – 0...40C
mild condition - max output power 250w
not a lot of vibrations most of them are absorbed trough tire rim and spokes

Best regards,
Miro
 
Originally Posted By: miro
Thanks for the input Doog,
Why I should not do?


You should not mix oil and grease. Most greases are not reversible meaning the base oil will not be absorbed back into the thickener.

A bicycle is not a very demanding application.
 
I think you will end up with a kind of mud. You will not end up with a true NGLI #1. This may be exactly what you are after, depending on your seals.

Will the seals hold oil? Or are they a labyrinth arrangement designed for grease to do the blocking?
 
I say why not for this application, were it in a multi $$$$$ perhaps not, but I think that you can achieve your goal here.
Another option is to research the over the counter greases that make a "light"nlgi #2. Schaeffers for example tends to blend to the thicker side.
 
Originally Posted By: Tempest
I think you will end up with a kind of mud. You will not end up with a true NGLI #1. This may be exactly what you are after, depending on your seals.


That is what i know from technical articles. They say that most likely you cannot mix them. Unfortunately my experience with two Li-complex Mobil XPH 222 and SHC 100 shows perfect mixture. I´ve just checked the two bottles from my own made NLGI 1 grease. Results - no bleeding and oil separations after 1 year in my garage. The structure is homogeneous and tacky as normal NLGI 1 grease. Maybe I´m lucky guy

Originally Posted By: Tempest

Will the seals hold oil? Or are they a labyrinth arrangement designed for grease to do the blocking?

The seals is type of triple labyrinth. I put NLGI2 grease at outer section of labyrinth.just to protect from outside water.
 
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Originally Posted By: salesrep
I say why not for this application, were it in a multi $$$$$ perhaps not, but I think that you can achieve your goal here.
Another option is to research the over the counter greases that make a "light"nlgi #2. Schaeffers for example tends to blend to the thicker side.


Good idea thanks for input.
 
Quote:
Results - no bleeding and oil separations after 1 year in my garage. The structure is homogeneous and tacky as normal NLGI 1 grease. Maybe I´m lucky guy

You might be right. However, what that mixture does when put under work load isn't known until it is used. If it works for you, great.
 
Originally Posted By: salesrep
I say why not for this application, were it in a multi $$$$$ perhaps not, but I think that you can achieve your goal here.
Another option is to research the over the counter greases that make a "light"nlgi #2. Schaeffers for example tends to blend to the thicker side.


Shimsno nexus hubs might not bemultiple thousands $ but they aren't cheap either.
 
Thanks for the input guys.
Finaly I pulled the triger I´ĺl go for Mobilth SHC100 NLGI2 mixed with mobil SHC 100 oil.
I did it before on Shimano Nexus 3 and ater 4 seasons experiance I still like the rusults.
This weekend I will repack Nexus 8 and share my first impresion.



Tkanks,
Miro
 
Why not just buy a grease that's already a 0 or 1? Does mobil not offer this grade?
 
Good question!
I was searching for any NLGI 0 or NLGI that meet my tiny requirements but I didn't find it.
1. Small quantity e.g 0,4kg or 1kg. Most NLGI 0/1 are coming in 18kg or 160...180kg drum
2. Average or good work at low temperature.
3. Average or good water resistance. Actually almost any grease will be ok
 
Originally Posted By: SOHCman
Why not just buy a grease that's already a 0 or 1? Does mobil not offer this grade?

Good question!
I was searching for any NLGI 0 or NLGI that meet my tiny requirements but I didn't find it.
1. Small quantity e.g 0,4kg or 1kg. Most NLGI 0/1 are coming in 18kg or 160...180kg drum
2. Average or good work at low temperature.
3. Average or good water resistance. Actually almost any grease will be ok
4. Product can be sent to Europe
I´m not brand addicted, nor lubrication freak. I´m open to accept any suggestion that meet my tiny requirement.


Thanks in advance
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: miro
Originally Posted By: SOHCman
Why not just buy a grease that's already a 0 or 1? Does mobil not offer this grade?
Good question!
I was searching for any NLGI 0 or NLGI that meet my tiny requirements but I didn't find it.
1. Small quantity e.g 0,4kg or 1kg. Most NLGI 0/1 are coming in 18kg or 160...180kg drum
2. Average or good work at low temperature.
YES, sounds doable.

Originally Posted By: miro
I did it before on Shimano Nexus 3 and ater 4 seasons experiance I still like the rusults.

Good to know this proved successful for you !

Originally Posted By: miro
That is what i know from technical articles. They say that most likely you cannot mix them. Unfortunately my experience with two Li-complex Mobil XPH 222 and SHC 100 shows perfect mixture. I´ve just checked the two bottles from my own made NLGI 1 grease. Results - no bleeding and oil separations after 1 year in my garage. The structure is homogeneous and tacky as normal NLGI 1 grease. Maybe I´m lucky guy

What grease-to-oil ratio are you mixing together ?
Is it 50% grease + 50% oil or... ?
 
Originally Posted By: miro
Unfortunately my experience with two Li-complex Mobil XPH 222 and SHC 100 shows perfect mixture. I´ve just checked the two bottles from my own made NLGI 1 grease. Results - no bleeding and oil separations after 1 year in my garage. The structure is homogeneous and tacky as normal NLGI 1 grease. Maybe I´m lucky guy

So,
.....What grease-to-oil ratio are you mixing together ?
.....Is it 50% grease + 50% oil or... ?
 
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